Wattage is one of the first things people look at when buying booth lights. More watts = more light, right? Mostly yes — but it's not quite that simple, and buying the wrong wattage is a common and easily avoidable mistake.
Here's how to think about it.
What Wattage Actually Tells You
Wattage measures power consumption, not brightness directly. But for LED lights of similar quality, higher wattage generally means more lumens (light output). A 50W LED arm light produces roughly 5,000 lumens. A 25W model produces around 3,000-3,250 lumens. A 16W model produces around 1,300 lumens.
The question isn't "which is brighter" — it's "how much brightness do I actually need?"
The Simple Guide by Booth Size
- Tabletop displays and pop-up booths — 16W is usually enough. You're lighting a small area from close range.
- Standard 10x10 booths — 25W is the sweet spot. Bright enough to stand out, not so powerful that it creates harsh shadows or glare.
- 10x20 booths — Mix of 25W and 50W, or multiple 25W lights. Depends on how many products you're highlighting.
- 20x20 and larger — 50W lights, or a larger number of 25W lights linked together. You need serious output to fill a large space.
It's Not Just About Booth Size
Wattage choice also depends on what you're lighting and from what distance.
If your arm light is mounted close to the product — say, 1-2 feet away — a 25W light is plenty. If you're mounting lights at the top of a tall booth structure and aiming down at products 6-8 feet below, you need more output. The light spreads and loses intensity over distance.
Similarly, if you're trying to make a single hero product pop against a dark background, a 50W spotlight creates a dramatic effect that 25W can't quite match. If you're just providing general illumination across a display, 25W is usually sufficient.
The Power Consumption Angle
Don't forget that wattage affects your power draw. If your venue provides one 15-amp circuit per booth (standard in the US), you have roughly 1,800W to work with. Six 50W lights use 300W. Six 25W lights use 150W. That leaves more headroom for other equipment — screens, tablets, demo units, whatever else you're running.
Our Recommendation
For most exhibitors with a standard 10x10 booth: start with 25W. It's the most versatile option — bright enough for most applications, light enough to travel easily, and efficient enough to run multiple lights without stressing your power allocation.
If you have a larger booth or specific products that need dramatic spotlighting, step up to 50W for those key positions and use 25W for fill lighting.
Browse our full range of LED booth arm lights from 16W to 50W — all CRI 90+, all UL/ETL/CE/UKCA certified, and all designed specifically for trade show use.